THE VERY WET GARDEN

Take caution before you dig. With all the rain we had last night and Sunday the gardens may be exceptionally wet and a bit dangerous should your landscape have hills and steep slopes.

It’s tempting to inspect the gardens after the storm we had last night, to see what was damaged, if limbs dropped and to pull a few weeds: wet soil makes weeding a dream. However, if your garden is on the soggy, waterlogged side you may do more harm than good trekking about in your mud-caked boots.

Walking about overly wet soil can undo all your good work of amending and loosening the soil. If your garden soil is in tip-top shape, you don't want to compact it by stepping on it. First, grab a handful of soil and see if it’s sopping or just simply wet. If your soil has been cared for well, it will drain in short order and soon be ready for your garden chores.

If you soil is mucky and very wet, don't start digging until it’s had a chance to drain. And, since you can see how wet it remains, consider amending your soil so when the next big rain comes, your garden will be better prepared to handle the excess water.